OK, so winter is still here, there and everywhere! What to do?

Well, try holding a Mardi Gras event and parade when the temperatures are predicted to go to -1 with added wind chills and snow.  It should be interesting.  We may all be be huddling around the flambeaus to stay warm.  What do you think of frozen moon pies as hockey pucks?  I don't think our weather is going to be as bad as the rest of the country so we are fortunate.   Let the good times roll!

I spent most of the day yesterday preparing Chicken Gumbo.  When I woke up this morning our house still smells like Chicken Gumbo.  It might be good for breakfast.  ("No, I will NOT eat Chicken Gumbo for breakfast!")
We also shoveled more snow and brought in additional firewood for the upcoming cold spell.  At the end of the day I did manage to get some time in on my music theory course and a little practicing on the keyboard.

The neighbors are logging their property so I have a couple of photos of the burn pile going up in smoke.  RMM walked down to retrieve his game camera chip and there are some photos of elk posted below.

Up in smoke!

On another note, I transplanted all of my geraniums, pansies and tomato plants.  My Wave Petunias have sprouted and will soon be ready to do the same.  I ordered hanging begonias for the baskets for our new porch from a company called American Meadows.  They are beautiful tubers and I have them started in their pots.  It won't be long before things are blooming around here.  Remember, we live in Hope, America.

A movie recommendation:  Gravity 
Absolutely beautiful.  I would recommend watching it in a movie theater but it was still pretty stunning on our TV set.  It is definitely a reminder about how beautiful the earth really is and though our life may seem pretty small and insignificant, how wonderful it is to be here.

Stay warm wherever you are.